However, when her father took her to basketball practice instead of ballet class years ago, Imani Alston’s mother was not dancing on air.

“From then on, I had a basketball in my hand,” Alston said. “She was really mad at first. She really wanted me to do it, but once she saw this was my true love she understood.”

Alston, who helped the Nottingham High School girls’ basketball team to a pair of victories, has been named as a Times’ Hamilton Athlete of the Week.

“We’re starting to come together and gel,” Alston said. “At first we could only put one and one together (to make two good quarters). Then we could only put three quarters up. (Last week) we put four good quarters together and now we’re on a roll.”

Alston, a team captain, said a tough schedule is paying off for the Northstars.

“Extremely tough teams in the beginning helped prepare us for the rest of the season,” the senior guard said. “We’re not afraid to attack or do anything because we’ve seen the best teams around.”

“I’m a sports fanatic, college, pro, I like it all,” said Alston, who plans to major in mass communications in college on the way to a career as a commentator.

The Northstars, who dropped their first four games of the season, took a 4-7 record into Tuesday night’s game with Ewing. They have been considerably more entertaining as they have hovered around the .500 mark for their last eight games.

A three-sport athlete, Alston hopes to play basketball in college. Basketball was the first sport she played and it remains her favorite.

“I tried softball, but I got hit by a pitch and it turned me away from that,” she said. “When I got to high school, I tried out for field hockey and I made the team. I play mostly mid and some forward but mostly mid.”

In the spring, she participates in track and field. Her top events are the long and triple jumps.

She shares a fondness for watching good movies with her mom and a love of basketball with her dad.

As a senior she said she likes being able to set an example for the younger girls.
“I like to share things I picked up from Dad. He coaches me from the sidelines and I take all his advice,” she said. “I really enjoy the game. Just teaching things is great to me. It makes me feel good when they pick it up and do it. I think, ‘Man, I’m helping them out with that’ and it feels great.”

A top student and peer leader, Alston takes honors-level classes at Nottingham.
“I take school seriously,” she said.

There’s still time for sports — and dancing — in her life. Sometimes a dancing performance takes center stage.

“I do dance occasionally,” she said. “I danced for my cousin’s wedding in September.”
Sometimes, however, the ballet comes with a basketball in hand.